Whodini

December 14, 2008

The year was 1984. It was during this time in hip-hop's history that most artists were representing the East Coast and the artform that was hip-hop was thought of as a soon passing "fad." It was also during this time that a trio out of N.Y.C., Whodini, was blowing up the airwaves. I remember being around nine years old, anxiously waiting for "Five Minutes of Funk" to come on the radio. For those that remember, that was one of the phattest songs out at the time, and the album, Escape (Whodini's debut release), was in the deck of every "boom" box.

Looking back on an album that is over 10 years old, you can't label this one anything less than a classic. After bein' funked out for five minutes, the unforgettable, yet truthful "Freaks Come Out at Night" kicks in. You almost want to break out those ol' joggin' suits and cardboard. Finishing out side one, Whodini raps about those with a "Big Mouth," another track for the memory bank. (Remember Felix the Cat in this video?) The second side starts off with the title cut, "Escape (I Need a Break)." This song was never released, but contains similar musical elements of most rap songs of this time. Following "Escape" is my favorite cut off of the album, "Friends." This song will still get that ass movin'.

Overall, the album contains only eight songs. This was a similar trend amongst most rap albums of this time. The credibility of hip-hop music and the small amount of money being placed into hip-hop at this time did not allow lengthy albums to be produced. Regardless, Whodini was able to turn their first release into an album that will always have a niche in hip-hop history.